NICARAGUA RECEPTIVE TO U.S. CASH COURIER

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002567 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT, EEB, WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, AND USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ETTC PREL PTER ASEC NU SUBJECT: NICARAGUA RECEPTIVE TO U.S. CASH COURIER INITIATIVE PROPOSAL FOR OAS/CICTE REF: SECSTATE 161166 (U) On December 11, Econoff delivered reftel demarche on the U.S. cash couriers initiative to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Deputy Director for North American Affairs Rene Morales, MFA Legal Advisor Aracely Rodriguez, and Superintendency Of Banks Anti-Money Laundering Director Heynar Martinez. Morales and Rodriguez replied that while they felt Nicaragua would be in a position to support such an initiative, they would have to send the information to Vice Minister Manuel Coronel Kautz for his final decision. VM Coronel serves as Nicaragua's National Point of Contact for OAS/CICTE. Martinez welcomed the initiative as an important one for the hemisphere. He stated that while Nicaragua lacks a Financial Intelligence Unit, the new Penal Code does address the crime of terrorism financing and defines money laundering in terms that meet international standards. Therefore, he felt there exists the necessary political will in Nicaragua to take on this issue. Supporting the initiative should be in line with existing national policy. TRIVELLI